Shoe with toe and instep guard assembly



Oct. 29, 1968 c, Mac UAlD ETAL 3,407,518

SHOE WITH TOE AND INSTEP GUARD ASSEMBLY Filed April' 15. 1966 hvvewroms: CRQIG MncQun/o, orv-o AJQA/DRE,

HTTORNEY6 3,407,518 SHOE WITH TOE AND INSTEP GUARD ASSEMBLY Craig MacQuaid and Otto A. Andre, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to Interco Incorporated, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 542,890 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-72) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A protective shoe construction having a rigid toe guard, with a rigid instep guard of compound curvature overlying both the instep portion and the toe portion of the shoe with toothed lower side edges for digging into the shoe welt, and having a front wall adjacent the front wall of the toe guard. A permanent, strong connection for the instep guard to the toe guard while accommodating movement of the instep guard when the shoe is worn.

An object of the invention is to provide a protective shoe with a toe guard and instep guard wherein the instep guard overlies both the instep and toe portions of the shoe with lateral sides resting on the welt of the shoe so that blows to the top of the instep guard are transmitted directly to the welt and through the sole of the shoe. Another object is to provide such a shoe wherein the lower side edges of the instep guard have teeth that dig into the welt to resist lateral spreading of the sides of the guard when a downward blow is applied to the top of the guard. The teeth also resist inward pinching when a side blow is applied to the guard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe construction with a toe guard and an instep guard wherein the instep guard has a portion overlying the toe guard including the front thereof to block wires and other foreign matter from entering the space between the instep guard and the shoe, together with a strong, permanent attachment of the instep guard to the toe guard.

Another specific object is to provide a shoe with a rigid toe guard and a rigid instep guard with utilization of these rigid parts to hold rivet fasteners in joining the in step guard to the toe guard.

All the foregoing objects are accomplished by attaching the instep guard to the shoe by a hinge riveted to the front of the instep guard and to the front of the toe guard. Also, there are other objects of this invention which will be apparent.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a left side elevation view of a shoe made according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a right side elevation view of the shoe of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary left side elevation view of the shoe of FIGURE 1, but showing the instep guard pivoted away from the shoe;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the instep guard removed from the shoe;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in medial section through the front portion of the shoe and through the instep guard;

FIGURE 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary view in section showing the hinge portion of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view of the hinge along the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

Referring to the drawing, this shoe 10 has an upper 11, as is usual, with eyelets 12 in the vamp for shoestrings. There is a welt or midsole 14 and an outsole 15 with a heel 16. A rigid steel toe guard 17 is positioned in the toe portion of the shoe with a liner 18 lining the inner surface of the upper 11 and toe guard 17.

atent 3,407,518 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 The toe guard 17 may be of any conventional form and shape and its manner of mounting in the shoe 10 may be conventional. Likewise, the arrangement of upper 11 and liner 18 is conventional. In this normal construction, it will be noted that the toe guard 17 has a top portion 20 and a front portion 21, albeit the line dividing these two portions is not sharply defined.

The instep guard 24 comprises a steel shell 25 of concavo-convex shape to follow the contour of the instep portion of the shoe 10, with transverse corrugations 26 to give added strength, and with a cup portion 27 extending to a front wall 28 overlying the front wall 21 of the toe guard 17. The front wall 28 terminates at an edge 29 that is spaced above the sole 14 of the shoe but which leads to toothed lateral side edges 30 which rest on the welt or midsole 14. These teeth 30 extend along the sides of the instep guard 24 to points forward of the back edge of the toe guard 17 and dig into the welt or midsole. There is an outwardly turned flange 31 at the back of the instep guard 24 with a cellular pad 32 and a leather loop 33 respectively glued and riveted to the shell 26. The shoelaces (not shown) are passed through the loop 33 to position the guard 24 while permitting it to move as the shoe is worn.

The difliculty in a guard like the guard 24 has been to find a satisfactory way of attachment. Different kinds of screw attachments and the like have been used but the screws often work loose causing the guard to separate from the shoe. According to this invention, a hinge 35 is riveted to the instep guard 24 and to the toe guard 17. The hinge 35 has the usual construction including plates 36 and 37 relatively pivotal on a pin 38. Appropriate holes 39 are drilled through the front wall 21 of the toe guard, a plurality of rivets 40 extend through the hinge plate 36, the upper 11, and the holes 39 in the toe guard 17. Each rivet 40 has a head 41 that bears against the inner wall of the steel toe guard and a head 42 that bears against the metal wall of the hinge plate 36. The rivets are thus tightly and permanently held in place.

Likewise, holes 43 are drilled through the front wall of the instep guard 24, and rivets 44 extend through these holes 43 and through the hinge plate 37. A head 45 on each rivet 44 bears against the wall of the instep guard 24, and a head 46 bears against the metal hinge plate 37 to hold the rivets 44 tightly in place.

The resulting assembly is permanent and strong. There are no screws to come loose. A strong metal instep guard with this attachment provides the maximum protection to the wearer, which will not come loose and which cannot be removed. Because of the shape of the guard, this protection extends over the entire forepart of the shoe, including the toe and instep, giving protection not only to the instep, but added protection to the toe. Also, since the toothed sides 30 rest on the welt or midsole 14, the forces of blows are transferred directly to the sole rather than to the foot. The teeth 30 dig into the Welt or midsole to lock the sides of the instep guard against spreading.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the purview of this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A protective shoe combination comprising a shoe, a rigid toe guard in the toe of the shoe, a rigid instep guard for overlying the instep portion of the shoe, the instep guard having a corrugated portion overlying the top of the toe guard and the instep portion of the shoe and having a front wall overlying the front portion of the toe guard, a hinge having two relatively pivoted plates, one plate being'riveted to the front of the toe guard, the other plate being riveted to the front wall of the instep guard, an inner liner covering the heads of the rivets inside the shoe, the instep guard having lateral sides with'toothed lower edges for biting into the welt or rriidsole of the shoe, means to releasibly connect the upper rearward end of the instep guard to the shoe, and a resilient pad on the under side of the instep guard for spacing the lower radiiof the corrugations from the upper surface of the instep portion of the shoe.

2. The shoe combination of claim 1 wherein the toe guard and instep guar are of steel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,079,237 5/1937 Allard 3672 3,068,593 12/1962 ODonnell 3672 3,082,553 3/1963 Wilrnanns 36-72 3,175,310 3/1965 MacQuaid 3672 3,175,311 3/1965 MacQuaid 36-72 3,206,874 9/1965 Ellis et a1. 3672 3,242,597 3/1966 George et al. 3672 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

